


Gonna Dress You Up In My Love

by FallingLikeThis



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Famous, Established Relationship, Hobbies, Knitting, M/M, this is absolute fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-03
Updated: 2016-03-03
Packaged: 2018-05-24 13:29:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6155188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FallingLikeThis/pseuds/FallingLikeThis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry decides to take up knitting. He's horrible at it.<br/>Louis wears everything anyway.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Gonna Dress You Up In My Love

**Author's Note:**

  * For [suspendrs](https://archiveofourown.org/users/suspendrs/gifts).



> I really hope you like this. I loved writing it. It was such a cute prompt.

 

Harry hums to himself, tilting his head as he considers the selection before him. It’s autumn now and there’s a slight nip to the air that warns of winter in the distance. Harry’s decided he’s going to make use of himself this season by taking up knitting. He only has a part time job just now and there’s a lot of extra time going to waste. There are visions of sweaters, scarves, socks, and beanies dancing in his head as he imagines giving them to his loved ones. Though his favorite image is of his boyfriend in an oversized sweater that Harry’s made for him, the sweater falling off one shoulder as he cuddles Harry lazily, sweaterpaws and all. There’s nothing better to keep your heart warm than a sweater made with love. Or a boy named Louis wearing it.

“Is there something I can help you with?” A woman somewhere around his mother’s age asks as she walks up to him. Her nametag says _Ida_ and she smiles at Harry kindly as she asks.

“Yes, thank you,” he answers politely. “I’ve decided to take up knitting but I have no idea what I’m looking for.”

“Good for you, darling,” Ida pats him on the shoulder. She reminds him of one of his grade school teachers, matronly and encouraging. He quite likes her. “It’s always nice to have a hobby, and knitting is a very useful one to have. Especially in the colder months.”

“I agree,” Harry nods at her and looks back at the shelf in front of him, waving his hands out in front of the collection. “But I had no idea there were so many sizes of needles.”

“Yes, well, different projects call for different needles,” Ida explains, leading Harry over to a spinning rack that has little books of patterns. “Did you have something in mind for your first foray into knitting?”

“Oh, I hadn’t really decided,” Harry admits with a rose blush coloring his cheeks. “Maybe a scarf? That sounds easy, right? No curves or anything to worry about.”

“A scarf is an excellent idea and a fairly quick project even for a beginner. Here is a book of our easiest patterns,” she says handing a thin booklet over to Harry and pointing out the page he needs and the instructions on it.  “The patterns should always tell you which size needle is required right here. You’ll need 20mm needles for this one.”

“And the needles are labelled, too?” Harry asks, glancing back at the shelves. There are just so many and some of the sizes seem really similar.

“They’re labelled, too,” Ida assures him, leading him back over to the instruments in question. They come in so many different colors and materials. It’s a little overwhelming if Harry’s honest. “Since this is your first try, I’d get the plastic or aluminum needles and then, it you decide you like it and want to stick with it, you can switch to the fancier ones if you’d prefer.”

“Sounds reasonable,” Harry tells the woman with a charming smile, picking up a golden pair of aluminum needles and making sure they’re the right size.

“All that’s left is to pick out your yarn.”

Maybe it’s a bit weird to be excited about picking out yarn but Harry can’t deny that a thrill of excitement tingles over his arms as Ida leads him to the yarn selection. She instructs him to feel the yarn to make sure that he gets something that looks good and will feel good as well. Going cheap with the yarn can lead to itchy items that no one wants to wear. He picks a soft cyan blue yarn that will bring out the majesty in Louis’ eyes.

“That’s a lovely choice, dear.”

 

~*~

 

Harry rushes home in his excitement and gets to work right away. It takes a few hours to finish and Harry gets frustrated more than once. His hands don’t always want to do what his brain is urging them to and he’s had to unravel the thing a few times because he’s gotten distracted and forgotten which step he was on.

He’s staring forlornly at the sad excuse for a scarf when Louis gets home.

“Evening, love,”’ Louis greets, kissing the top of Harry’s head where he sits at their dining table. “What’s this?” He gestures at the pool of bluey-greeny fabric on the table with his head as he pulls his jacket off.

Harry groans and drops his head into his hands. “It was supposed to be a scarf for you,” he says, voice muffled by his palms.

“What was that?” Louis asks with a laugh, sitting next to him and running his fingers through the hair at the base of Harry’s skull, digging his fingers into his scalp in a way that he knows relaxes the boy.

“It was supposed to be a scarf,” Harry says, lifting his head to look at Louis with pouty lips. He looks like a disgruntled kitten and Louis can’t resist leaning in to wipe the pout from his face with a kiss.

Harry’s lips quirk up into a smile as Louis pulls away. God, his boyfriend is amazing. He always knows what Harry needs.

“It’s a pretty color,” Louis compliments, looking down at the ‘scarf’. He reaches for it before Harry can stop him and straightens it out in his hands. “And it’s mostly scarf shaped.”

Harry groans again and bangs his head on the table.

“It’ll still keep a neck warm,” Louis argues, wrapping the scarf around himself to prove it and moving to look in the mirror next to the front door that Harry denies is for last minute primping. “Brings out my eyes, too.”

Harry looks up at Louis, neck buried in a shabby piece of crap that his boyfriend made for him and wearing it with a smile on his face. He loves the tiny idiot so much.

“It’s shit,” Harry tells his boyfriend, getting up to unwrap the scarf from Louis’ neck, stopping to stare at a whopping hole that’s near one end. “Look, it’s got a giant hole in it,” he says, furrowing his brow as he studies it closer, muttering to himself, “how did that even happen?”

“Ugh!” Harry grunts in frustration. “I’m throwing it away.”

“No, you’re not!” Louis argues indignantly, pulling the scrap from Harry’s hands. “Correct me if I’m wrong but you said it’s mine, did you not?”

“I said I made it for you,” Harry corrects. There _is_ a difference. He hadn’t gifted it to Louis yet, and he wasn’t planning on it once he saw how horribly it had turned out.

“Technicality, Harold,” Louis rolls his eyes, wrapping the ugly thing around his neck. “You should have gotten rid of it before I saw it then.”

Harry sighs. “Why do you even want it?”

“Because _you_ made it,” Louis tells him, like just because Harry’s made something makes it precious.

Harry leans his forehead against Louis’. “I love you, you know.”

“I know,” Louis answers, eyes sparkling with adoration. “And now I have a beautiful sort-of-scarf to prove it.”

Harry laughs and shakes his head at his boy.

 

~*~

 

Even though the scarf didn’t go well, Harry doesn’t give up on knitting. He tries a beanie next.

Ida helps him find the easiest pattern in a copy of the same book he has at home and the right needles and Harry picks a pretty green yarn this time.

It takes more time, a couple of days rather than hours because Harry has to figure out the curves and he uses his own head for the measurements to keep it a surprise.

It, too, is a disaster. It’s not even, some places looser than others causing a droopy hem on the bottom, and when Louis tries it on, it hangs down over his eyes. Who knew Harry had such a large head? Though Louis suggests it’s all the hair that’s caused the thing to be a bit big.

Harry tries to rip the thing from Louis’ head but his boyfriend denies him the opportunity, covering it with his hands and insisting that Harry leave it where it is. He pushes it back so that the crown droops at the back of his head making him look all ‘hipstery’ (his word) and refuses to take it off for the rest of the night.

Louis wakes Harry in the morning to kiss him goodbye as he heads off to work an hour earlier than Harry has to. Harry chuckles when he sees him, beanie pushed back on his head, scrappy scarf strung around his neck. “You look absurd.”

“No, I don’t,” Louis disagrees. “I look like I have a boyfriend that wants to make sure I stay warm.”

Harry leans up and kisses him again, pressing his lips against Louis’ fervently and wishing he could do more but not daring to before he’s brushed his teeth. “You’re ridiculous,” he says as Louis backs away with a smirk.

“Maybe,” he says with a shrug. “But you love it.”

True.

 

~*~

 

Harry tries to hide his new monstrosities from Louis when he gets home the following day but he’s too slow.

They’re red and he spies them right away, stealing them from Harry and slipping them onto his hands where he stares at them dubiously. “These are strange-looking mittens.”

Harry bites his lip and refrains from groaning. “That’s because they’re socks.”

“Oh!” Louis toes off his shoes and slides the socks off his hands to tuck his bare feet into them. “That makes much more sense.”

Both boys stare down at the socks on Louis’ feet as he flexes his toes in them. They slump loose and useless around his ankles and it’s pretty obvious that if he tries to walk in them, they’re not going with him.

Harry sighs. “I’m terrible. I should just give up on the knitting.”

“Don’t you dare,” Louis says pulling the socks off his feet before he moves to the craft drawer Harry started a few weeks ago, clutching them in one hand. “I believe I was promised a sweater when you dreamed up your knitting career and you can’t quit until you’ve delivered.” He sits the socks on the counter to grab a spool of ribbon and a pair of scissors.

“What are you doing?” Harry wonders, watching over his shoulder.

“Fixing the socks,” Louis says like it should be obvious as he carefully measures out a length of ribbon.

“Those things can’t be fixed,” Harry argues, hugging Louis from behind and nuzzling his nose into his neck. Even though they’re a total failure, just like everything else, it’s nice that Louis wants to try.

“Oh, ye of little faith.” Louis puts the scissors back once he’s gotten what he needs, burying the fingers of his free hand in Harry’s hair, keeping him close and smiling as Harry kisses the back of his neck. He twists his head to get at those lips, kissing Harry sweetly as he turns in his arms.

“Can we just cuddle and watch the telly?” Harry asks between kisses. “I’ll make us some sandwiches and we can watch Cupcake Wars on Netflix.”

“Sounds perfect,” Louis agrees, tasting Harry’s lips one last time before squeezing by him and scampering away. “Let me just slip into something more comfortable.”

“That better mean you’re coming back in here naked.”

Louis laughs as he slips away. “You have all night to get me naked, Curly,” he yells down the hall.

When he comes back, Harry’s just finishing up making their sandwiches. He stops what he’s doing when he glances up and sees his boyfriend standing there with his arms spread wide like “here I am!” His eyes trail down from the loose t-shirt Louis’ wearing (Harry’s) to the too big sweats that are rolled up to his ankles (also, Harry’s) to the knit socks cinched like little booties on his feet. The ribbon he’s used is tied in a little bow at each ankle and he looks both ridiculous and adorable.

Harry conceals his giggles in both hands.

“I’ll just take that,” Louis says, taking his plate while Harry is busy laughing and carrying it to the living room.

Harry grabs two drinks and his own plate and follows him. When they’re both done eating they leave their plates on the coffee table and snuggle up but Harry isn’t concentrating on the show very much. His eyes keep trailing over to Louis’ feet resting on the table, still covered in the red monstrosities.

“You can take those off now,” Harry tells him. “I get it. You support me and I shouldn’t give up. Message received.”

“Nah,” Louis answers lazily, flexing his toes a bit and curling closer to Harry. “They keep my toes warm.”

That’s all he says about it.

He wears them every night when he gets home from work until Harry ‘accidentally’ shrinks them in the wash.

 

~*~

 

Harry gives up halfway through on the mittens. They never see the light of day. Instead, he goes back to the scarf pattern, determined to stick with it until he gets it perfect. It takes him a week but he finally produces something that he can be proud of, he tucks it away for safe-keeping and revisits the beanie pattern next.

Louis sees Harry knitting in the evening sometimes but doesn’t see any finished products. He must assume Harry keeps throwing them out because he pouts about not having anything new to wear to work so he can brag to his coworkers about his sweet boyfriend who makes him things.

Harry rolls his eyes as a smile plays on his lips. He’s getting so much better at this. It took him a little while to realize that he was just being too impatient to have results, not taking the time to put care into the work because he was seeking instant success. But Louis needn’t worry, soon he’ll have plenty to wear. And it’ll fit, too. Well, most of it.

 

~*~

 

“You’re doing well, Harry,” Ida praises from her seat in the circle. “I always knew you’d have talent.”

Mariska nods along as though she was there when Harry started out, too. Like she’s known him for longer than the month he’s been in the knitting circle.

“Thank you,” he laughs. “I didn’t.” Harry smoothes out the sweater he’s working on. It’s coming along nicely and Ida had helped him pick out a lovely yarn in heather grey that’s going to make Louis’ eyes look beautifully stormy when he wears it. Harry has always thought of storms as being a bit romantic, it’s a nice parallel for how he thinks of his boyfriend.

“Oh, Harry,” Evelyn coos as she looks over the booties he’s made for her newest grandchild. “These are precious.”

“I’m glad you like them,” he tells her. “Louis gave me the idea for the design.”

“Louis Booties,” Mariska mutters, tittering over the baby blanket she’s working on.

Harry grins at her and looks back down at his sweater. It should be ready just in time for Christmas.

 

~*~

 

“Happy Birthday!” Harry greets as Louis walks into their flat on December 24th.

Louis pulls off his saggy beanie and holey scarf and kisses Harry ‘hello’, taking the box that Harry is insistently pushing at him.

He slowly unwraps his gift, knowing that the wait is driving Harry crazy.

“Do I have to open it for you?” Harry asks finally as Louis gently pulls at a piece of tape.

“Don’t even try it, Haz. This is _my_ gift,” Louis says, moving the box out of Harry’s reach like a child that hasn’t learned to share.

“Then, hurry up,” Harry warns.

“Fine, fine.” Louis tears through the rest of the paper with a hungry smile on his face, lifting the lid on the box with eagerness. “Oh, Haz.” He lifts his new scarf, the same color as the old one, out of the box. Underneath it is a beautiful green beanie and a red pair of handmade socks. “They’re perfect.”

They are. Harry took a lot of time to make sure they’d be perfect.

“Now, you can throw away those old ones,” Harry says, picking up the beanie and pulling it down onto Louis’ head. It fits like a dream and Louis looks so pretty in it.

“What are you talking about?” Louis asks, kicking off his shoes and pulling on the socks that actually cling to his ankles. “I’m not throwing them away.”

“Why not?” Harry asks, brow furrowed in confusion. “I made you better ones so you wouldn’t need them anymore.”

Louis sighs and kisses his boyfriend on the nose. “I don’t keep them because I need them, love. I keep them because I _want_ them. They’re your first attempts and I love them. I love these, too. But those will always be special to me because, even if they aren’t perfect, the attempt came from the heart. And your heart’s pretty special to me, too, love.”

Harry sighs dreamily and steals a real kiss. Though, can you really steal something that’s easily given?

 

~*~

 

Harry gives Louis the sweater for Christmas.

“Um, Haz? I love it but I think it’s a bit big,” Louis says as he comes out of the bathroom in nothing but the sweater and his boxer briefs.

The sweater is falling off one shoulder, sleeves falling just past the tips of Louis’ fingers, and hem falling so that you can only barely tell that Louis is wearing underwear.

Harry bites his lip as arousal floods his veins. “Nope. It’s absolutely perfect.”

Louis smirks at the look on Harry’s face. “Well, in that case, are you ready for me to give you _your_ gift?”

“I think I’ve already received it,” Harry says, pulling Louis into his lap when the boy tries to walk by to get to the tree. “You look beautiful, Lou.”

Louis turns in Harry’s lap to straddle him, licking into his mouth when Harry tugs him down for a kiss. “Later,” He promises, pulling away as Harry whines underneath him. He grins at his needy boyfriend and goes to get his gift, placing it in Harry’s hands with care.

Harry unwraps a small white box and opens it to find a velvet ring box. He looks up at Louis with wide eyes.

“I didn’t make it by hand,” Louis shrugs, cheeks flushed as he watches Harry open the lid to reveal a shiny platinum band, “but I was hoping you’d want it anyway.”

“Are you—?”

“Marry me?” Louis answers a question with a question, eyes sparkling with hope.

“Yes,” Harry answers breathlessly.

Louis wears his sweater when they make love in celebration of their engagement.

Harry wears nothing but his engagement ring.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!! [Here](http://suddenclarityharry.tumblr.com/post/162632655732/gonna-dress-you-up-in-my-love-fallinglikethis) is a fic post to reblog if you liked it, please?


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